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Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

☆ Egypt's foreign minister to visit Syria, Turkey on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Egypt's Sameh Shoukry will travel to Damascus on Monday in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Shoukry will visit Turkey and Syria - both hit hard by a deadly earthquake on Feb. 6 - to "convey a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries" according to the foreign ministry statement. Turkey's foreign ministry confirmed the visit, saying Shoukry will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and visit the southern province of Adana and the port of Mersin, where an Egyptian aid ship is set to arrive. Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke with Assad by phone for the first time on Feb. 7 and on Sunday, a delegation of top parliamentarians from around the region - including Egypt's parliament speaker - met Assad in Damascus. Relations began thawing in 2021, part of a push by Turkey to ease tensions with several regional powers.

☆ Washington Post publisher slams Pompeo calling Jamal Khashoggi an 'activist' in new book, fires back that CIA 'concluded Jamal was brutally murdered'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Washington Post official blasted Mike Pompeo for his portrayal of Jamal Khashoggi in his new book. Post publisher Fred Ryan said Pompeo "outrageously" misrepresents "the life and work" of Khashoggi. "As the CIA — which Pompeo once directed — concluded, Jamal was brutally murdered on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman." The report also described that later in his life Khashoggi's ties to the group were "ambiguous." Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, Khashoggi's widow, told NBC News that Khashoggi' was never part of the group.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo speaks during a press conference with Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the State Department in Washington on Aug. 19, 2020. A demonstrator holds a poster with a picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 25, 2018. "And as even the New York Times reported, Khashoggi was cozy with the terrorist-supporting Muslim Brotherhood," Pompeo wrote. I confirm it to you," Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, told NBC News on Monday. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi Widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

☆ Founder of Egypt’s Juhayna Food Industries and his son released from prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The founder and former CEO of Juhayna Food Industries (JUFO.CA) and his son were released from prison in Egypt on Saturday after about two years in detention, according to a judicial source and a family member. The arrests of Safwan and Seifeldin Thabet two months apart had shaken Egypt’s business community as well as Egyptian and foreign investors. The Thabet family have denied any wrongdoing in statements on social media. A member of the Thabet family told Reuters the two men were released from a police station and returned home, but said the family had no other information about why they were freed. The family had pleaded for their release partly due to the illness of Safwan’s wife, who died during his detention.

New hardline ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir, a settler from Hebron, will be in charge of police as national security minister, while Bezalel Smotrich, another far-right politician, will have wide control over policy in the West Bank. "Fatah sons, Hamas sons, sons of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front are working together within unprecedented resistance formations," Maamar said. Under Israeli policies designed to create economic security incentives, 20,000 Gazans are allowed to cross into Israel for work. For its part, Palestinian Authority officials say Hamas is funding some armed cells in the West Bank, in part to weaken the PA, and Israeli officials say they are also closely watching Hamas' moves in the West Bank. Israel should "weaken the Hamas militarily as much as possible" while helping to improve conditions for Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank to reduce the potential for conflict, Ben-Barak said.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Erdogan says Turkish, Egyptian ministers to meet in process of building ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in comments broadcast on Sunday that a process of building relations with Egypt will start with ministers of the two countries meeting and that the talks would develop from there. "We had narrowly focused talks with Mr. Sisi there and said now let's have ministers coming and going at a low level. After that, let's broaden and widen these talks," Erdogan said, also signalling the possibility of improving ties with rival Syria. "Just as this business is now on track with Egypt, things may also get on track with Syria," he said. Reporting by Omer Berberoglu; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan shakes hands with Egypt's Sisi at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the World Cup in Doha, Qatar, November 20, 2022. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERSISTANBUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday, a photo from Turkey's presidency showed. Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency said Erdogan briefly met, shook hands and talked to Sisi and other leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan. Ankara's ties with Cairo have been strained since Sisi, then Egypt's army chief, led the 2013 ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was strongly supported by Erdogan. Egyptian officials had expressed caution over any rapprochement, although Erdogan said in July there was no reason high-level talks should not take place.

The 2022 World Cup has been dogged by controversy since Qatar was announced as the first Middle East nation, and Gulf absolute monarchy, to host it. But a successful World Cup is far from guaranteed. Dorsey said Qatar could use a successful World Cup as a springboard to reform. "This is the first ever World Cup in the region. This is a big, big deal," said Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University.

☆ Egyptian-British hunger striker's family say they received 'proof of life' letter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The sister of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah said on Monday the family had received a letter from prison that served as "proof of life" from the hunger striker. Since then his family and his lawyer had made repeated trips to the prison where he is detained northwest of Cairo, but had received no news on his condition. Since he obtained British citizenship in December, British officials have sought unsuccessfully to secure consular access to Abd el-Fattah. Abd el-Fattah's lawyer Khaled Ali said he was at the prison along with his mother Laila Soueif, and was waiting for prison authorities to allow him to visit. Egypt's public prosecutor said on Thursday Abd el-Fattah was in good health, after the family said they were informed that medical intervention had been carried out to maintain his health.

☆ Curbs on rights weaken Egypt's climate talks, campaigners say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Dominic Evans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] People walk outside of the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre during the COP27 climate summit opening in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt November 6, 2022. Climate action "requires more people on the street, more voices, more independent research, more independent reporting, more accountability when climate obligations are not met," said Tirana Hassan, Human Rights Watch's acting Executive Director. "That's not going to happen under governments such as the Egyptian government which is excluding civil society, independent journalism and academia," she told a meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh this week. Despite those criticisms some delegates argued that there was a benefit to holding the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh to shine a light briefly on Egypt's record. "This is a huge opportunity," Egyptian journalist and human rights advocate Hossam Bahgat said.

[1/5] A demonstrator holds placards as he demands the release of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah near the British Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon November 7, 2022. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for the immediate release of Abd el-Fattah who he said was "in great danger." Egyptian officials have not responded to Reuters requests for comment on Abd el-Fattah. Abd el-Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt's 2011 popular uprising which led to Egypt's first democratic presidential election. Abd el-Fattah, a software developer from an activist family, was detained in the subsequent crackdown on Islamists, leftists and liberals alike, and has been behind bars for most of the time since then.

☆ Egyptian security arrests dozens ahead of COP27 climate summit- rights group
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CAIRO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces have arrested nearly 70 people in connection with calls for protests to coincide with the COP27 climate summit, a rights group said. The arrests come after some social media users, including an exiled former construction contractor and actor, Mohamed Ali, made renewed calls for anti-government protests in Egypt on Nov. 11. The COP27 United Nations climate talks will be held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh from Nov 6 to 18. Sisi, who was elected president in 2014, says security measures were needed to stabilise Egypt. Abd al-Fattah will stop consuming honey, tea and milk from Tuesday and plans to stop drinking water from Nov. 6, when COP27 opens, his family says.

☆ Gulf states use new oil riches to gain regional influence
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Money talks,” Michael Maduell, president of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute in Las Vegas, told CNN. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, last week announced that the nation’s wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is establishing five regional companies worth $24 billion across the Middle East. One of the key regional investment destinations for both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh has been Egypt. Once a regional rival, Turkey is now an economic ally of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite a political thaw, Gulf investments in Iran and Syria are unlikely for the time being, say analysts.

☆ Saudi Arabia frees senior Hamas official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GAZA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Saudi authorities released a senior official of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas after over three years in detention, an official of the Islamist faction said. Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement the official, Mohammad Al-Khodary, 83, whom Saudi authorities detained in 2019 along with dozens of others, was on board a plane heading to Jordan. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThere was no immediate reply from Saudi officials on a Reuters request for comment. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have cracked down against the Brotherhood, which they view as a threat to their systems of rule. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Nidal al-Mughrabi Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Influential cleric Qaradawi, supporter of Arab Spring uprisings, dies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar's influential Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yussef Al-Qaradawi attends the opening session of a conference of Muslim scholars in support of Palestinian people in Doha May 10, 2006. REUTERS/Fadi Alassaad/File PhotoDUBAI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Senior Muslim cleric Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a spiritual leader for the Muslim Brotherhood and defender of Arab Spring revolts, died on Monday at age 96, according to a post on his official Twitter account. He was highly critical of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as well as the Saudi leadership, fuelling a rift with Doha. In a tribute, Tunisian Islamist leader Rached Ghannouchi described Qaradawi as "committed to the principle of moderation within this great religion." However, some social media users appearing to post from Egypt and Saudi Arabia among other countries celebrated his death and accused him of sowing discord between Arab nations.

☆ A Trump advisor's trial could shed light on 'espionage lite' and foreign influence around the former president
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But in a court filing, federal prosecutors said Barrack was not referencing Trump's campaign or the United States. Indeed, Barrack is only the latest Trump ally to face charges in connection with an alleged foreign influence campaign. In court papers, federal prosecutors alleged that Barrack agreed in the spring of 2016 to develop a backchannel between the Emiratis and Trump campaign. The prosecution of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort kicked off a new era of foreign influence enforcement. Through his lawyers, Barrack has also argued that his contacts with Emiratis were no secret to the Trump campaign and the former president's administration.

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